Human Spirit

If you haven't noticed, I am on a quest to show what I believe to be the underlying problems with the liberal progressive philosophy. Conservatism, which assumes life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to be at the very foundation of every individuals human rights, is in my opinion the only philosophy that will lead to prosperity for all and a land that truly offers freedom and opportunity to any who enter it, regardless of race, religion and hair color.

Our country was structured by its founders in a way that provides the basic tenants of life and freedom. The things that snuff out these basic tenants are in violation of the law. There is room for social aid, to strengthen the weakest links in the chain, but that aid should not be taken at the expense of another.

In my view, the leaders of the progressive movement, the truly progressive, believe that there are fundamental rights more important than life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. What those fundamentals are, I cannot say, but they clearly believe that a system like socialism is superior to capitalism. It seems that we must make "progress" regardless of the cost. Can we really call it progress. They fail to account for the human spirit. Within my worldview, the progressives have failed to account for humans created in the image of the creator.

Regardless of your personal philosophies, I believe it would benefit you to examine life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in your own life. Examining these basic tenants will help to put your views in perspective and defend them when necessary.

The human spirit wants to grow, invent, achieve, accomplish, explore and serve. It is perhaps a futile attempt at containing the spirit, yet throughout history we have seen ever expanding governments take it upon themselves to dictate to the masses what they can and cannot do. Thanks to cousin Laura for highlighting a National Geographic article about how science explains the 'how', and faith explains the 'why'. She knows of course that I respectfully disagree. I am also trying to make it clear that disagreements are under-rated. We need to be challenged more often.

I don't believe that the How and Why can exist separately. The human spirit is the perfect example of this concept, and I believe "Why" matters. Can we appreciate a work of art, a sunset or a musical composition without both the How and the Why? Of course we understand [how,] that sound waves enter our ears and create noise; but the emotions, feelings and sense of awe that this may create come from our spirit, which tells us why we like it. When we stop our busy routines to gaze at a sunset, we cannot explain How it affects us the way that it does, but we can explain Why we believe it to be so beautiful. If we ignore why something has happened, we may be ignoring the cause, and will never truly understand how it happened. When we ignore the Why, we ignore the very inquisitive nature of the human spirit. If no reason exists for something, we have no need to know how it exists. If we assume that no reason exists, the human spirit and the very feelings that move us to action are meaningless.

Now that I have taken us down a terribly confusing philosophical road, let me get back on track.

DESERVE
–verb (used with object)
1.
to merit, be qualified for, or have a claim to (reward, assistance, punishment, etc.) because of actions, qualities, or situation: to deserve exile; to deserve charity; a theory that deserves consideration.
–verb (used without object)
2.
to be worthy of, qualified for, or have a claim to reward, punishment, recompense, etc.: to reward him as he deserves; an idea deserving of study.

What we "deserve" is an interesting question. Does a murderer deserve death? Does a homeless person deserve a roof? In reality, we each have passions and desires that prompt us to help others get what they deserve. The real dilemma is: Who gets to decide what you deserve?

Should the government have that power, or you?

Does your answer change depending on who is in charge? Should it?

We each make judgements about what other people may or may not deserve, but people will ultimately disagree on some points and agree on others. When we infringe on life and liberty, we deteriorate the very values, our unalienable rights, that allow our unique and individual human spirits grow in their own ways. The government is a necessary evil. Regardless of the cause, as we continue down the road of bigger and bigger government, we must understand that as our liberties are taken, we are destined to lose them all. That is how Benjamin Franklin saw it, and I think he was right.

We must take a stand for our basic human rights, the rights of the individual. Unless our spirit be dimmed, these are the foundations of conservatism that we must understand and follow.